Wayra Germany Winners Announced

BERLIN—Telefónica’s ambitious global start-up incubator program, Wayra, has announced the nine successful start-ups that will join its six-month incubator program.

Presenting the awards at the end of the Campus Party in Berlin was EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who quipped: “Never have I been with so many talented people,” before quickly adding “that’s not a judgment about Brussels.”

But while Berlin is seen as the heart of Germany’s start-up scene, the academy is based in Munich, the traditional focus of the IT industry.

According to the academy’s director, Tanja Kufner, a former corporate venture capitalist and the only female director of the 12 academies in operation around the world, the decision was because of the Spanish telecom company’s presence in Munich.

“There is a whole building full of O2 people. A big part of Wayra is the support and mentoring we provide.” But she did suggest that the decision was not final. “We shall see.”

And while the leader of the academy is female, as is always the case, the finalists were dominated by male entrepreneurs. Ms. Kufner, who was not part of the judging panel, said she hoped that more women would come forward.

The nine finalists that will join the six-month sponsorship and mentoring program were:

About Tech Europe

Tech Europe covers Europe’s technology leaders, their companies, and the people and industries that support them — and their ideas. The blog is edited by Ben Rooney, with contributions from The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires.